DEE SNIDER: 'The '90s Were Long And Hard On Me'

Jason P. Woodbury of the Phoenix New Times' "Up On The Sun" blog recently conducted an interview with TWISTED SISTER frontman Dee Snider. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.

Up On The Sun: You've got a book and a new album out at the same time. I assume you're pretty busy these days.

Dee Snider: It seemed like a good idea two months ago when they said, "Hey, why don't we release the book and the CD at the same time?" [Laughs] It's kind of like having twins in a way. Instead of being able to savor each child unto themselves, you get two. It's almost like I have two kids and I'm splitting my attention and enjoying both, but you can't focus on the one. But it's okay, I'm not complaining. The '90s were long and hard on me. I sat doing nothing for a long time, so it's okay.

Up On The Sun: Neither project really fits people's minds regarding tropes or traps. The album is all showtunes, and the book, well, it's not a typical rock autobiography about you being strung-out or a sex maniac.

Dee Snider: Like I said in the book, who isn't? [Laughs] But neither the book nor the album are typical. It's obvious, but it's nice to hear it stated. Both kind of have people scratching their head a little bit going, "What?" What was important to me with the book was that I told the story I wanted to tell. They said, "What story do you want to tell?" I said, "My rise and fall." And they said 'fall'? I said, "Yeah." I want to let people know you may be a rock star, but people fall all the time. You've got to keep trying to do the right thing. I think [there's some universal themes] going back to the lyrics [of TWISTED SISTER]. There were kids all over America and the world being yelled at by their dads, and feeling put upon, and not understood. I was just writing a personal story — in the "We're Not Going to Take It" video — and I was like "Oh, shit, that's going on?" I thought I was telling my story, but so many people identified with it. But right now, especially, with people are losing their jobs . . . I'm telling the odyssey of my life ... you can pick yourself up. Really, at the end of the day, that's all it takes.

Read the entire interview at this location.

"Mack The Knife" video: